SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2669, 15 January 1916, Page 5

SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRY

A LEAF FROM THE ENEMY'S , BOOK WHAT AUSTRALIA IS DOING By Telegraph-Press ASBOciatlon-Oopyrlihv Melbourne, January 14. ' Cabinet hps adopted the CommonWealth Institute of Science and Industries Committee's report, provided that tho control of the present Commonwealth laboratories is not disturbed, but that they be generally improved and better equipped. Any new laboratories are to be controlled by the institute. An Advisory Council has been appointed to immediately collect industrial and scientific information, initiate research, and promote industries. something about the moveMENJ. A conference was held in Melbourno last' week in the olfice pf the Prime Minister, when consideration was given to tlie proposals recently put forward by Mr. Hughes for the establishment of an institution for the conduct of scientist research in its relation to industry. The Prime Minister presided over the conference, which was representative of Jlinisterjes, universities, and the commercial interests of all the States. . The Prime Minister (Mr. Wm. Hughes), in Opening the conference,' sait) that Australia, in common with' the other oversea Dominions and Great Britain, was passing through its ordeal of fire. We wore being tried. IVe must see to it that we wpre not found wanting. The present struggle was not confinea to the torces qt the front, but involved the entire coimijmiity. It was a war of . ideals,. and. the future of the world would be profoundly affected if Germany Were victorious. The ideal pf modern Germany was the apotheosis pf brute forco. They believed in it; it influenced their lives; it was reflected in their dpeds.V What was pur ideal? "Right, not mijjht," was emblazoned on our ban ? Her. We lyere figthing for it; our soldiers were dying for it. , Did it influence! the lives of the community to the extent that the ideal of Germany . influenced theirs? That was the question: for unless our ideals were translated into deeds* unless they moulded our lives, they availed little. We were on our trial. We had to make good. We must make-good or perish. The Germans strove systematically, not hesitating at cold-blpodec| murder on a | wholesale scale to achieve that destiny whjcli involved tho .enslavement:of the world. Should we, who stood for liberty and right not do all that was jn ti£ in order to save civilisation? We must organise the forces at our disposal. Organise! Organise! That n}ust be pur watchword. '* They met, he said, for tho purpose of applying science to industry. Spiritual-truth was the living force thai turned tlje face of mail toward the towering peaks of true civilisation—science, the lamp by which, ~ he could guide his feet towards that distant goal.. British ignored science, or at best, held it at arm's length. Oi)r policy of "muddling through" had covered almost eyery sphere of human activity. _ AVe prided ourselves uppn being "praotiqal" people and regarded science as a mere' plaything for theorists. In the scheme of our great) universities was, until quite recently, treated as' an Ishmael. : fiven now she \yas viewed: with suspi-:i,(.-.cion. jjYetslpj,hope.for, modern industry r without .the aid of scienco was like -attempting . to. navigate tlie trackless pceaii _ without a compass. Germany's position tcrday, her victories ill the field, her. amazing industrial de-' velopment, are'due largely to the. fact that tlio scieritisfc is, if not captain," at least pUot of the Gorman industry.' If He are to prove ourselves the, fittest te survive in the grgat struggle wg must .walk with science hand in hand, We must seek its. aid ip order to qcliieye vie,tnry. We must enlist its services in "order to prepare to meet coMitions which yyiU arise after the war- Wo "■must rise to this great occasion turning a frightful calamity into a lasting gpod. "We must at least avoid the ' mistakes' of those who blazed the trail. Our duty is clear. Our great ,indusand secondary—must be stimulated, advised, and aided by scientific industrial research and by \yise laws on a scale commensurate with their national_ importance and value." In his pphuon, any practical schenio for a aatioiial laboratory must qim at co-or-Blnati'iig existing insti^tipns—Commonwealth laboratory; universities, agricultural colleges, . technical . :ai}d mining schools, $nd ordinary schgols.' The ok jeotive aimed at was to apply to this, pastoral industry, agriculture, mining, ■ and manufacture, the resources' of science in such a way as to more effectively develop pur great heritage. The atti)inn\ent of this objective would in? volve a central laboratory with a staff of the best scientists who would have at tlmir disposal ample facilities for original research work. Provision would be required for a bureau of standards for the purpose of investigating and testing standards, and measuring instruments, etc., investigation and industrial .research—chemical and physical study of problems bearing on secondary (manufacturing) industries. "We must: create conditions," ho "which will attract and maintain a vinie population of whom a sufficient number must sottlg upon the land, and I know of np way of settling people on the land except to the rural industry attractive, and to this science can lend most powerful aid.'.' . Knox, Colonial Sugar Refining Company, said_ that lie hoped the Government was going to begin building its house downwards. People in Australia did not seem to. reali.se the fact' that tho greatest losses in general business enterprises were waste that could bo stopped by making use of chemical knowledge. If wo were to quote the ■ figures of-the savings made in his own company through safeguarding and utilising waste, he would nut be believed. : Such saving could be made by large companies, but under present conditions the little inan could not do it. His company, was about the only one whigh employed any number of chemists, and tho company preferred to tram their own., Mr. G. D. Delprat' said that the suggested laboratory was not required bv big commercial concerns. They could afford to pay their own expert's. Tho small jnan wanted aid which these Gov-ernment-subsidised experts could give. : Sjr Douglas Mawson said they were discussing essentially a business matter, not an academic 'matter. TTiere seemed to be a litt'le too much university. He knew that in some pf ournniversities there were some pf the greatest fossils imaginable, and en the j teaching staffs there were some of tlie brightest. They wanted not so much research as to apply the knowledgo ■ already gained. Tliey should got knowledge from Germany and America. He would not stpp at cmplpying a German if they could get a good one to do the job, and got. the use of his knowledgo. .There were numerous other speakers. Mr. Hughes said that to call this . a Scheme fer the formation of a national laboratory dwarfed it. They meant much more than that. He had hoped it had been made perfectly cl.par that there was to be a scheme so broad a-s to yeaeh from this centra! institution right down to the preparatory schools. ■There was oulv one way by which tlie Boheme could be effectively carried out, and that was to reach the people when .4he.v were youna, " >